The present invention relates generally to belt positioning devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to devices suitable for positioning seat belts, namely shoulder belts, in a passenger restraint system such as a lap belt and shoulder belt system. In addition, the present invention relates to the positioning of the shoulder belt to make the restraint system more comfortable and safe for the passenger therein.
In the prior art, it is well known in the vehicle industry that passengers are secured to a seat for safety purposes. In automobiles, for example, the seat belt safety system includes a lap belt that spans across the lap of the passenger as well as a shoulder belt that spans from above a shoulder of the passenger and across the chest to the opposite side thereof to a position proximal to one end of the lap belt. There is a problem in these known shoulder belts in that they are difficult to adjust to the size and shape of the passenger so that it is most comfortable while providing the most amount of safety. This problem is particularly exacerbated with passengers that are small in stature, such as children. More specifically, the shoulder belt commonly rides too high on smaller passengers so it will tend to dig into the neck of the passenger making the seat belt restraint system very uncomfortable and even unsafe to use.
There have been attempts in the prior art to provide a means for adjusting the shoulder and lap belts found in vehicles. For example, many cars include a slide lock adjustment of the connection point of the shoulder belt where it connects to the vehicle above the shoulder of the passenger. Adjusting this connection point changes the angle of the shoulder belt to accommodate passengers of different sizes. However, the range of adjustment is minimal and, most notably, does not adjust nearly enough to accommodate passengers that are very small in size, such as children. Further, in a prior art attempts to solve this problem, the shoulder belt is connected directly to a center portion of the lap belt. This results in unwanted disruption, namely bowing, of the lap belt which increases the likelihood of the child sliding completely under the lap belt during a collision. As a result, the passenger can easily “submarine” underneath the lap belt causing a serious safety hazard.
In view of the foregoing, there is a demand for a seat belt positing device that easily retrofits onto the existing seat belt systems found in vehicles, namely, a lap belt and shoulder belt construction. There is also a demand for a seat belt positioning device that can attach to the lap belt near its connection point to the seat to avoid the unwanted and unsafe bowing effect of the lap belt while not sliding along the length of the lap belt. There is a demand for a seat belt positioning device that can be adjustably attached to the shoulder belt to customize the installation to the size and shape of the particular passenger being restrained. There is a further demand for a seat belt positioning device that is compact, inexpensive and easy to operate and install.